VI 
THE TIGER 
237 
had no idea how far we were from camp; to my 
surprise, I was informed that we had been working 
almost in a circle, and that our tents were not 
more than a mile and a half distant in a direct 
line. We came to the conclusion that we should 
beat our way towards home, carefully driving every 
jungle in that direction. 
During the last drive I had distinctly heard the 
bark of a sambur deer about half a mile in my rear, 
which would be between me and the direction we 
were about to take. It is seldom that a sambur 
barks in broad daylight unless disturbed by either 
a tiger or leopard; I was accordingly in hope that 
the sound might be the signal of alarm, and that we 
might find the tiger between us and the neighbour¬ 
ing village by our camp, where a small stream might 
have tempted it to drink. 
Having taken our positions—Mr. Berry amidst a 
few trees which formed a clump in a narrow glade 
outside, and myself around the corner of a jungle— 
the beat commenced. I was in the howdah upon 
Moolah Bux, and from my elevated position I could 
look across the sharp corner of the jungle and see 
a portion of the narrow glade commanded by my 
companion Berry; upon my side there was a large 
open space perfectly clear for about 200 yards, 
therefore the jungle was well guarded upon two 
sides, as the drive would terminate at the corner. 
In a short time the usual monotony of the 
beater’s cries was exchanged for a series of exciting 
shouts, which showed that game of some kind was 
